All the conjecture about Ducati’s factory World Superbike team can now come to a halt, as the Italian brand has announced that Francis Batta’s Belgian organisation, Team Alstare will take over the reigns of the company’s new WSBK effort.

At the helm of the Ducati 1199 Panigale RS13 will be former WSBK Champion Carlos Checa, who will be joined by Ayrton Badovini. Handling Ducati’s World Superbike campaign for the next two years, Alstare takes over from Althea Racing — a move that made headlines just a week ago.

“At Ducati, we are very happy and confident with this agreement,” said Ducati World Superbike Project Manager Ernesto Marinelli. “The professionalism, passion and sporting character of Francis Batta and all his staff, together with his structure, which sets an industry standard in terms of equipment and organisation, are vital elements for our future plans. We have a lot of work to do, and I am sure that we are able to do it in the best possible way.”

“For me, it’s an absolute thrill to be able to join the Ducati family again,” added Alstare Principal Francis Batta. “Together, we were so successful in the past and Ducati remains a reference brand for me today. We are going to face a challenge which is highly stimulating both for me and for my team and we will apply our absolute best efforts to making sure this is a successful endeavour.”